NATURE NOTES. 
162 
well covered from the light, but towards evening, when he had 
enjoyed a second repast of raw meat, he began to wake up and 
long for exercise. He was allowed his liberty in the house, and 
made full use of this privilege by going about from room to room, 
either running along the floor like a grey rabbit, or taking short 
flights with his noiseless wings. He would gravely pursue his 
way up the stairs a step at a time, and seemed to enjoy watching 
cattle in the fields whilst sitting motionless on a window sill. 
Until the bird could feed itself it would have been no kindness 
to let it go out of doors and starve, so I resolved to make the 
creature’s life as happy as possible, whilst I had thus a good 
opportunity of learning the habits of this interesting species of 
bird. I could not help being somewhat afraid of his formidable 
curved beak, which looked as if it could inflict a severe wound, 
but I soon learned how gently Asnapper could use it ; he would 
play with my fingers and hold them with such care that we had 
merry games of play at evening recreation time, when he looked 
to be let out of his cage and go where he pleased for an hour or 
two. 
If allowed to be in the drawing-room the sociable bird made 
himself quite one of the party. Perched on the back of a chair 
he would watch all that went on with a grave air of considera- 
tion, or else he would amuse himself by chasing a ball, or cotton 
reel upon the floor as if trying to make believe it was a mouse. 
I could not have thought there was so much latent fun in a 
solemn-looking owl, but then we are never out at night perched 
up in the tree branches to see what goes on there amongst young 
owlets. This afforded us, therefore, a rather unusual glimpse 
into the habits and manners of the bird of wisdom in his merry 
days of youth. 
This species, called the brown or tawny owl {Syrnium stridula), 
is found in most of the counties of England ; it is rare in Scot- 
land, and has not, I believe, been found in Ireland. It generally 
retires to thick woods during the day, coming out at night to 
feed upon rabbits, moles, rats, mice, frogs, and insects. 
I have several times observed a brown owl flying quite late 
in the evening closely pursued by enraged blackbirds screaming 
their loudest notes of anger and fear, and I gather from this that 
the owl is apt to prey upon small birds and possibly rob their 
nests of eggs or young fledglings. 
Several writers assert that this bird also feeds on fish, being 
able to catch those swimming near the surface. There can be 
no doubt of the extreme value of owls in reducing the number of 
rats and mice, and it is to be wished that landowners, in their 
own interest, if for no better motive, would take pains to instruct 
their gamekeepers to protect such useful allies to the farmer and 
gardener. I met with an amusing instance of the value of the 
owl as a mouser when staying at a farmhouse in Surrey. The 
farmer’s daughter told me her brother had just discovered “ a 
